Puff Pastry Apple Tart

5 from 1 vote

Learn how to make a puff pastry apple tart with this easy recipe. You can make it with a sheet of store-bought puff pastry, and then top it with a caramel apple compote and sliced apples. This tart is cut into squares like a slab pie!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Calories: 442kcal

Author: Janice Lawandi

Equipment

Ingredients

Apple compote

75 grams granulated sugar
30 grams unsalted butter
3 Cortland apple(s) peeled, cored, and diced

Tart assembly

450 grams all-butter puff pastry defrosted in the fridge overnight
3 Cortland apple(s) sliced thinly (you can either peel and core the apples before slicing or slice them whole for a more artistic look)

Glaze

30 mL pure maple syrup or melted apple jelly

Metric - US

Instructions

Apple compote

Place a medium saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with granulated sugar and heat the sugar until it is completely melted and clear, tilting and swirling the pan as necessary to keep the granulated sugar/melted sugar moving so that it doesn't scorch unevenly.
Once the sugar is all melted, continue cooking until the syrup colours and turns a golden amber colour.
Take the pan off the heat and add the butter, swirling carefully to melt and incorporate it.
Add the diced apple, and using a wooden spoon, stir to evenly coat in caramel.
Place the pot back on the stove and cook the compote on medium heat until the apples soften, become translucent, and begin to break down a little.
Take the pan off the heat, and transfer the compote to a bowl. Refrigerate until cold.

Tart assembly

Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a 10x15 inch (25x38 cm) sheet pan with parchment paper.
Using a rolling pin, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the cold puff pastry to fit the pan from edge to edge (or almost). It doesn't have to be too exact and if you are using a pre-rolled sheet of puff pastry, it may already fit depending on the brand.
Using a fork, dock (a.k.a. prick) the pastry all over to allow steam and air to escape while it bakes.
Dollop and spread the cold apple compote from edge to edge to coat the pastry dough.
Arrange the thinly sliced apple evenly on the apple compote, from edge to edge.
Bake until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. You may rotate the pan once during baking to make sure the tart browns evenly. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out.
The tart should take about 45 minutes to bake.

Glaze

As soon as the tart comes out of the oven, set the pan on a cooling rack.
Brush the sliced apple topping with maple syrup (or melted apple jelly) to coat all of the fruit with a thin layer.
Let cool completely, then cut into 8 squares and serve immediately.

Notes

You may need more or less sliced apples, depending on their size, in order to completely cover the tart with an even layer of fruit. Better to slice a little extra and snack on the leftovers, rather than run out!

For the photo, I sliced whole apples (with the peel) to arrange on the top of the tart, but you can also core and peel the apples for a more traditional, neater look. Aim to slice the apples quite thin, around 3/16 inch (0.5 cm) thick.

To prevent the sliced and diced apples from browning, you can store them in a bowl of lemon water as you prep all the apples. When you are ready to use them, drain them well.

Nutrition